1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector assembly having electrical shorting members.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,805 discloses a short circuit electrical connector assembly. The assembly has a male electrical connector with shorting members that contact the male electrical contacts until the female electrical connector is mated with the male electrical connector. Electrical connector assemblies which use a short circuit on contacts when two mating electrical connectors are not mated with each other are used in automobile air bag safety systems. The short circuit helps prevent an air bag ignition system from inadvertently igniting when the mating electrical connectors are disconnected from each other.
There has been a significant increase in the use of air bags in automobiles in recent years. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of air bags used in individual vehicles, including side air bags and seatbelt air bags. There is a desire to reduce the number of electrical connectors used in automobile air bag safety systems and to centralize air bag electronics in order to reduce manufacturing costs.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an electrical connector is provided including a housing; electrical contacts connected to the housing; and electrical shorting members connected to the housing. Each contact includes a male contact area to form a male electrical connector. Each shorting member is adapted to electrically connect at least two of the contacts to each other. Each one of the contacts is connected to at least one other contact of the contacts in the connector by the shorting member. The shorting members are each movable to a position spaced from the contacts. The contacts are aligned in an array of at least two rows with multiple ones of the contacts in each row.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an electrical connector is provided comprising a housing; and electrical contacts connected to the housing. The contacts are aligned in an array comprising two rows of the contacts. The housing comprises at least two rows of spaced electrical shorting member mover projections extending forward at a forward mating side of the housing for insertion into a mating electrical connector. The at least two rows of projections are located in separate planes generally between the two rows of contacts.
In accordance with one method of the present invention, a method for assembling an electrical connector assembly is provided comprising steps of providing a female electrical connector with two rows of female electrical contacts and a housing with two rows of shorting member mover projections at a front end of the housing; providing a male electrical connector with two rows of male electrical contacts and two rows of movable electrical shorting members connecting pairs of the male electrical contacts in each row to each other; and connecting the male and female electrical connectors to each other, wherein the two rows of shorting member mover projections extend into the male electrical connector to move the two rows of shorting members off of electrical contact with their respective rows of the male contacts, and wherein the shorting members in a first one of the rows of shorting members are moved in an opposite direction from the shorting members in a second one of the rows of shorting members.